HS Foreign Lang credit during middle school?

[karenmsta]

I'm wondering how others have handled the state requirement for a foreign language credit. My ds 11 has finished Latina Christiana and both of Dwane Thomas' visual Latin sets and is a third of the way thru Henle I now at the end of 6th grade. We also live overseas and he is moderately fluent in the local language. So how does that work for counting towards HS credit? Do I count each? One? Neither, since they were both completed before Jr high? He doesn't have a desire to do much more of either language, nor to start another one (tho he will probably do a little Biblical Greek sometime in high school). TIA!

 

 

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[Space station]

If he completes Henle 1 in middle school, then I would list one credit of Latin under "High School Courses completed before High School," or something like that.  If speaking the local foreign language been picked up by exposure without study, then I would list it as language skills, but not give credit.  If he studies the local language, and is learning to read and write in that language as well, then I might award credit.  Just my thoughts - interested to hear what others think.

[OneStepAtATime]

What would be the requirements for graduation in your location?  Or where he may end up when he is actually graduating?  In other words what criteria, if any, are you going to have to follow to issue a High School diploma?  And probably more importantly, what are the requirements for any schools for college/uni that he might want to attend?

 

As I understand it, some schools require 2 foreign language credits to be earned in High School.  Credits earned prior to that are great but don't count for getting in to some colleges/unis, if that makes sense.   In fact, I have read on this board that some schools require 3 credits to be earned in High School.  Do you have any idea where he might wish to attend college, if he plans to do so? 

[LisaKinVA]

[quote name="OneStepAtATime" post="6301424" timestamp="1429127787"

 

As I understand it, some schools require 2 foreign language credits to be earned in High School. Credits earned prior to that are great but don't count for getting in to some colleges/unis, if that makes sense. In fact, I have read on this board that some schools require 3 credits to be earned in High School. Do you have any idea where he might wish to attend college, if he plans to do so?

 

I haven't heard this...foreign language for hs credit was offered when I was in school, is offered by our public (schools back home, and here. It's one of the few things we could/can count towards hs graduation.) The requirements I have always seen have 2-3 credits of hs foreign language, with no stipulation that they are earned IN 9-12 grade. Where have you seen that? I'm curious.

 

That said, the work taken should be equivalent to a high school course, as there are some that are not.

 

My oldest has 1 year of Wheelock Latin (half the book), and he did that prior to high school. He will have several years of Russian through study, and probably the equivalent of 2 years in Italian. He is studying Italian, just not at the same pace or rigor as Russian.

[Corraleno]

I haven't heard this...foreign language for hs credit was offered when I was in school, is offered by our public (schools back home, and here. It's one of the few things we could/can count towards hs graduation.) The requirements I have always seen have 2-3 credits of hs foreign language, with no stipulation that they are earned IN 9-12 grade. Where have you seen that? I'm curious.

 

That said, the work taken should be equivalent to a high school course, as there are some that are not.

 

My oldest has 1 year of Wheelock Latin (half the book), and he did that prior to high school. He will have several years of Russian through study, and probably the equivalent of 2 years in Italian. He is studying Italian, just not at the same pace or rigor as Russian.

 

I've seen college admissions requirements that explicitly say they ONLY want to see credits earned in the previous 4 years, so that would eliminate middle school credits unless the student graduates HS early.

 

I think most public schools do give credit for math or foreign language earned in 8th grade, so those would be on a PS transcript whether the college wanted to see them or not — but the college may still not "count" them towards the admission requirements.

 

And I seriously doubt any college would count courses completed in 6th grade (in the OP's case) towards high school requirements.

[Corraleno]

I'm wondering how others have handled the state requirement for a foreign language credit. My ds 11 has finished Latina Christiana and both of Dwane Thomas' visual Latin sets and is a third of the way thru Henle I now at the end of 6th grade. We also live overseas and he is moderately fluent in the local language. So how does that work for counting towards HS credit? Do I count each? One? Neither, since they were both completed before Jr high? He doesn't have a desire to do much more of either language, nor to start another one (tho he will probably do a little Biblical Greek sometime in high school). TIA!

 

Will you still be living in the same country when he's in 9th/10th grades? If so, I would have him continue with the local language, including learning to read and write, and use that language for HS credits. If he really really doesn't want to continue with Latin, and the only language he's interested in learning is Biblical Greek, then I would at least plan on having him do 2 years of that in 9th & 10th. But be warned that many selective colleges want to see 3 or even 4 years of one language, or at least 2 yrs of 2 different languages (so that could be 2 yrs each of Greek + the native languages where you're living).

[8filltheheart]

I had typed out a post and it was eaten.

 

I do give high school credit for foreign lang completed prior to high school, BUT it has to be equivalent in pace and input/output as if taken in high school. Taking a high school course and pacing it out over 2-3 yrs, no, I would not give credit. Other people do other things, but that is my personal criteria.

 

I personally do not think that LC is high school credit worthy. I don't use Henle, but I think most people complete Henle 1 and 2 over 3 yrs and give 3 high school credits. One gauge you could use is the NLE. Their syllabi and old exams are on their website. I wouldn't give a high school credit for Intro, but would if they had mastered the content for level 1.

 

FWIW, our oldest was fluent in Brazilian Portuguese at age 10. He even dreamed in Portuguese. ;) (He was a sleep walker and when he would sleep walk, he would always talk in Portuguese!) But, he didn't write, read, or study grammar formally. I require all of it for a credit. When he was in high school, however, it made studying Spanish super easy for him. :)

 

You have to do what you feel comfortable doing. What I have shared are just my personal expectations for my children.

[Arcadia]

Interestingly the UC (California) system does allow counting credits earned in 7th and 8th grade.

 

"UC-approved high school courses

 

Two years (three years recommended) of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. American Sign Language and classical languages, such as Latin and Greek, are acceptable. Courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement if the high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses."

 

ETA:

I was thinking as in for a child who did two or three years in middle school using high school syllabus and material, followed by SAT or AP for that language.

[Luckymama]

I just copied this off the website of the University of (My State), which my older kids attend:

 

 

"Subject -- Foreign Languages

Years Required -- 2† of same

Years Recommended -- 4 of same

 

† Foreign language courses taken before the ninth grade do not count."

[Jamee]

If the SAT II is available in the language, I'd take that to show proficiency.  Or find the proficiency exam for the country you're in.  I don't know exactly what it's called, but here in Japan, several home schoolers have taken the test here that shows proficiency in Japanese.

[karenmsta]

Thanks all for your responses. Wow, this feels really rather complicated to me at the moment. Feels like the pushing we did to start Latin early can now be looked at (by colleges) as a con.

 

He does have reading writing any grammar ability to match speaking and comprehension in the local language. With all that he wants to do STEM wise in HS I cant imagine he will choose 2-4 more years of HS level study. And Biblical Greek isn't a spoken language, so does it count the same as other foreign languages? Just wrapping my head around this! I feel like we have a lot of language and we maybe have to really push on further!

 

SAT II does not test in our language.

 

 

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[karenmsta]

Oh and we conform to CO graduation requirements. I have no idea where he'll want to go to uni. STEM. The where is beyond me right now so I have to plan on the more side I guess!

 

 

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[OneStepAtATime]

I don't think starting Latin early is a con, really.  Lots of people on these boards start Latin early.  It probably has benefited him in his language arts at the very least.  Certainly if he is going into a STEM field, the Latin will help with terminology.  Working through Latin prior to High School is actually probably a good thing in many ways.  It just may not count for credits regarding admission to some colleges.  Still a good thing to have under his belt.  If he doesn't want to continue it right now, maybe take a break, then if he were so inclined he could pick it up again in High School.  Since he has already had exposure, it shouldn't be that difficult to continue it later.

 

As for whether Biblical Greek would count as a foreign language, again, that may depend on the college.  Some will accept Latin.  Some actually won't, as I understand it.  Some will accept ASL.  Some won't.  I'm betting Biblical Greek is the same.  Some will.  Some may not.  I wonder if there is a master list somewhere?  Perhaps you could just check out 10 or so schools that you think might interest him in the future and just get a feel for the requirements they have?

 

If he does have abilities in the local language, maybe just having him work more in that language would suffice.  Since the SAT II does not test in that language, perhaps you could find another testing option?

[OneStepAtATime]

I thought these links might help a little...

 

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/does-middle-school-foreign-language-count-towards-requirement/

 

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/does-middle-school-foreign-language-count-at-college-admission-time/

 

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/a/ForeignLanguage.htm

 

http://www.flageorgia.org/advocacy/College_&_University_Language_Requirements.pdf

[karenmsta]

Yes. I will look at some uni reqs and those links. Thx. Also could a uni that offers higher ed in our local lang somehow give credit like DE or transferred credit? And are you saying that taking the NLE could give him HS level credi in some admissions officers eyes?

 

 

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[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

One item to keep in mind-

 

in many traditional schools 2 years of middle school language are equal to one year of high school language. Two years of high school language are equal to one year of college language (or 1 year = 1 semester).  Therefore 4 years of high school language often fulfill a gen ed requirement for completing the 200 level in college.

 

I'd be careful of using middle school credits as high school credits on a 1:1 ratio.  For foreign language you need to be sure that the course is actually a high school level course.  There are many solid latin programs for elementary & middle school kids available but not all are equal to a high school course.

 

No-I don't think the NLE would be considered worthy of credit.  You probably need the SATII in Latin or the AP exam to have credit.  I don't know if there is a Latin CLEP or not.

 

That said-yes, I have a kid who will have done high school Latin before high school.  He'll have full credit on his transcript.  He'll also have completed Latin 4 in high school.

[EndOfOrdinary]

There is no Latin CLEP. Most colleges give a nod to languages completed before high school only if the language is continued up into high school. So if credit is awarded in sixth, but then not continued into tenth grade, the language is just an interesting anecdote.

 

Most all colleges now want to see only the last four years of schooling completed. Those years are what they consider. So if your student takes AP Latin in tenth grade, it looks great. If they just took a year or two in middle school, it does nothing but box check (and even then that is sketchy as seen in previous posts).

 

ETA: My son is a languages kid. He is going to have multiple foreign language credits before high school. However the colleges we have talked with have all been very strong in recommending all of those credits be verified by outside sources and testing. As such, his Latin credits will come from Lukeion and an SATII Latin test in ninth grade and AP Latin in tenth. His Spanish credits will be done through the CC and perhaps an AP test later in high school. Japanese will be done in high school through the CC to verify previous introductory coursework in middle school.

[LisaKinVA]

 

Most all colleges now want to see only the last four years of schooling completed. Those years are what they consider. So if your student takes AP Latin in tenth grade, it looks great. If they just took a year or two in middle school, it does nothing but box check (and even then that is sketchy as seen in previous posts).

 

 

This makes total sense...my dd (currently in 7th) will have 2 years of HS German prior to high school, and at least 2 years of German while in high school (not sure about the speed she'll take those, or how far she'll want to continue).  

 

We do begin modern foreign languages in middle school, but I don't expect them to continue beyond 2 years of high school in the same language (mainly because for many of the classes, they will reach the limit they can take either DE or through AP).  If one of my children wish to go beyond that, I'll have to find a tutor to go further. 

[8filltheheart]

Thanks all for your responses. Wow, this feels really rather complicated to me at the moment. Feels like the pushing we did to start Latin early can now be looked at (by colleges) as a con.

 

He does have reading writing any grammar ability to match speaking and comprehension in the local language. With all that he wants to do STEM wise in HS I cant imagine he will choose 2-4 more years of HS level study. And Biblical Greek isn't a spoken language, so does it count the same as other foreign languages? Just wrapping my head around this! I feel like we have a lot of language and we maybe have to really push on further!

 

The Latin you completed with LC is more on the elementary/middle school side, not high school. Henle is a high school text, but book 1 completed in 3 yrs (assuming about a 1/3 a yr) is not 3 high credits. Book 1 was historically 1 high school credit. Since Latin isn't taught in schools the way it used to be, extending book 1 and 2 to 3 credits has become more the norm. But that would mean completing 2/3. The point is that a high school student with no prior Latin is expected to walk into a high school class and complete 2/3 of it for the credit. Pace of input/output **is** a determining factor for what is worth a high school credit. Since he had completed LC prior to Henle and still only made 1/3 of the way through, the pace is probably not equivalent to high school.

 

My 10th grade dd completed Latin 4 this yr. That means she does have credit from middle school. She took the NLE intro in 6th grade. (No credit.) She has taken the "level" exams every yr since. So she did earn Latin credit in 7th grade. In June she will take the SAT Latin subject test. Those tests do NOT give her credit. However, those tests do validate that what she completed was the equivalent of a high school credit.N

 

She started taking French in 3rd grade. It was most definitely NOT high school equivalent. Her French is harder for me to quantify bc her skills are not exactly equivalent. Her reading and listening skills exceed her speaking skills which exceed her writing skills. She can watch movies in French and read elementary level books in French (like Chronicles of Narnia) but she isn't writing essays several pages long in French. She is going to a French camp this summer and based on where she is right now, I believe she will be considered French 4. She has been taking French way longer than Latin, but the skill level expectations for a modern language are different than for Latin. (I guess I'll know her French level better after camp. It will be interesting to see how they classify her.)

 

She also studies Russian. She didn't start Russian until 9th grade, but her pace is Russian has actually been faster than a high school course. In under 2 school yrs, she has completed more than Russian 1&2.

 

Fwiw, her older brother is a STEM guy. He dropped foreign languages after level 3. He had credit for French 1-3 (levels 1&2 from middle school) and Latin 1-3. (I'd have to look, but he either started Latin in 8th or 9th. I can't remember.)

 

Does your local language have A type level exams? http://www.whystudylanguages.ac.uk/post16/alevels Many languages outside of the typical US high school languages do. (Here is a link to a list of A level type testing languages: http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-international-as-and-a-levels/subjects/

 

Another option might be to find a local tutor who would be willing to work with him and write a letter of recommendation based on what they do. Dd's Russian teacher has written a transcript for her which describes the level of work completed, her grade, and the teacher's assessment of her over all ability. I will include her information with my transcripts for any college dd applies to.

 

Here is a list that says what languages do have proficiency tests. You might find a proficiency test outside of the regular AP/subject test/A-level route:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_proficiency_tests

[MamaSprout]

There is no Latin CLEP. Most colleges give a nod to languages completed before high school only if the language is continued up into high school. So if credit is awarded in sixth, but then not continued into tenth grade, the language is just an interesting anecdote.

 

Most all colleges now want to see only the last four years of schooling completed. Those years are what they consider. So if your student takes AP Latin in tenth grade, it looks great. If they just took a year or two in middle school, it does nothing but box check (and even then that is sketchy as seen in previous posts).

 

ETA: My son is a languages kid. He is going to have multiple foreign language credits before high school. However the colleges we have talked with have all been very strong in recommending all of those credits be verified by outside sources and testing. As such, his Latin credits will come from Lukeion and an SATII Latin test in ninth grade and AP Latin in tenth. His Spanish credits will be done through the CC and perhaps an AP test later in high school. Japanese will be done in high school through the CC to verify previous introductory coursework in middle school.

 

We are in something of the same boat. Dd loves languages. Would credits from schools like BYU Online High School count? Would this be something the OP could use to validate their local language experience?

 

I had thought of letting dd continue with her languages using middle school resources for another year or so, have her work through BYU's High School Classes in 7th/8th as a form of validation b/c they can be completed at an accelerated pace. Then have her take the AP in her language, if we can find a test site. (We have very few available locally, not sure how homeschoolers do that yet.)

 

She will probably use Lukieon for Latin after 3 years of "middle school" Latin, and wants to add a third language at some point. I don't want to cause her trouble by starting too early. She has the interest now, and we are using some linguistics resources to space things out a little.

[8filltheheart]

I personally don't think taking classes from an outside source is necessary. It is the validating that is necessary. We live in a culture where colleges focus on tests and test scores. If they have the tests and the test scores, universities will not care where they learned the material. I don't think Latin learned through Lukeion is going to be viewed as any more valuable than Latin studied at home. What matters is what score did they make on the NLEs and Latin subject test.

 

Universities look at the "entirety." They don't know how to classify most ps, let alone homeschools. They want to see consistency between what is on the transcript and what they see as quantifiable evidence. There is way too much grade inflation occurring in ps. They don't equate an A to an A. If a student has an A in pre-cal but a 450 on the Math 2 subject test, the only thing they are going to really focus on is the 450.

 

Seeking outside validation if possible is the best way to verify. For some things it is easy. For some things it's not. But, having a balance between the 2 means that they have a way to at least to begin to judge what else is on the transcript. If they student has an A in pre-cal and a 780 on the Math 2 that means the A in philosophy starts to have some context. (Atl least that is our experience.)

 

With regard to high school classes from BYU, the main issue is if the subject matter continues into high school, not the accredited class in middle school. If they took 2 yrs of a foreign Language in 7th and 8th and didn't continue it into 9th, no university is going to care. What matters is if level 3 is on their transcript for grade 9. At that point, those classes are the ones that matter. A DE class or an online class or a class with a quantifiable test score during high school matter. (I would guess AP scores from middle school would as well, but I have no experience with that scenario.)

[Kathy in Richmond]

My daughter started Latin in 3rd grade with LC and ended up continuing all the way through high school (and college, too!).

 

I did NOT worry about credits in the early & middle years. We just did the next thing to move forward, not worrying about completing a fixed amount per year. I fitted the credits to her work later when I made her transcript.

 

She also did no outsourcing; all her Latin learning was done self-study at home (no other foreign languages - just Latin). She taught herself from Henle & later materials purchased from Bolchazy Carducci at the AP/reading level. I did learn alongside her because (1) I was interested myself and enjoyed it, and (2) it gave me the means to evaluate her progress somewhat.

 

However, I knew that selective colleges really weren't going to care about my opinion of her progress. Thus, we did testing: NLE, SAT subject test, and AP exams. We wouldn't have done so much except for the fact that she was interested in very selective colleges and had expressed an interest in studying Latin and Classics at university.

 

This approach worked fine for college admissions, and she went on to complete a Latin/Classics major in college successfully.

 

Specifics on testing: Dd took the NLE Intro in grade 5 and moved up one level per year through grade 12 (she was allowed to take the NLE 6 twice). That would be 7 solid years of study (6th through 12th), but when I made her transcript, I ended up awarding 6 credits. That seemed enough to me.

 

So, on the transcript she had credits for Latin 3 to 6 in the grades 9 through 12 columns, and two additional credits for Latin 1 & 2 in an additional "before high school" column. In the course descriptions, I simply stated what texts she'd covered during those early pre-high school years, without specifics of time frame.

 

OP -- It sounds like your 6th grader is off to a terrific start with a good chunk of Henle 1 already under his belt. I'd just keep going if I were you; whatever you're doing is working! You really don't know yet what the future will hold in terms of his interests in continuing that language or starting a new one.

 

I actually think that it's optimal to not try to accomplish a whole high school credit per year at that age. Give it time to sink in thoroughly. Spend time reading about Roman culture and history and mythology,too. He'll be rewarded later by being able to put his readings into context if he continues Latin to the level where he's reading original works.

 

You can figure out credits later on. I've seen STEM kids (among my son's friends at MIT and a WTM boardie whose son is going there) who have wrapped up Latin in grade 9 or 10 and stopped foreign language at that point. BUT - as others have also said - I would document his achievements with a SAT 2 or AP score.

 

If he does stop Latin where he's at now, then I'd personally not award any credit. At most he's done part of a Latin 1 credit. An isolated credit is not apt to be looked at by colleges. He will most likely need more foreign language if he plans to go to a selective college in the US.

[Julie in MN]

Thanks all for your responses. Wow, this feels really rather complicated to me at the moment. Feels like the pushing we did to start Latin early can now be looked at (by colleges) as a con.

 

I don't think learning something is ever a con.  Learning early just puts you at a higher level in high school, and college.  Learning a broad range of things impresses professors during class discussion and has other benefits besides transcript listing.

 

Oh and we conform to CO graduation requirements. I have no idea where he'll want to go to uni. STEM. The where is beyond me right now so I have to plan on the more side I guess!

 

My oldest is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines, a good STEM college, one where employers court students long before graduation.  They only require one year of high school foreign language ( http://www.mines.edu/NewFreshmen ) and really that son's public school German class was lame but it never came up again.  I would focus on math scores not foreign language requirements.

 

My youngest homeschooled son has been accepted into 2 private Christian colleges in MN for dual enrollment and 1 public university in Colorado, all requiring formal admissions, and his 2 years of basic homeschooled high school foreign language was never discussed, no one asked exactly when or where he took it (he did take 1 college Latin course during that time, not sure if that impacted the last admission).

 

I would not get too worried until you know where he is going and then he can work on filling in any gaps.  Of course, if your son sets his sights on a college with a 5% acceptance rate (e.g these colleges or medical schools ), he will need to start planning soon.  For the rest of us, usually 12th grade has room to fit in those last details.

 

Yes. I will look at some uni reqs and those links. Thx. Also could a uni that offers higher ed in our local lang somehow give credit like DE or transferred credit? And are you saying that taking the NLE could give him HS level credi in some admissions officers eyes?

 

 A liberal arts college that considers foreign language an important component of education may have all students take a university-level language course or test out, even if they received public school credits.  Thus they may have several types of testing and accept several types of international situations.  There are really many, many college situations. 

 

I would not panic yet.  To me, colleges care more about things that makes your son stand out than they care about cookie-cutter requirements, and worst case in many instances will be an extra course taken during the college years. 

 

Julie

[SeaConquest]

The Latin you completed with LC is more on the elementary/middle school side, not high school. Henle is a high school text, but book 1 completed in 3 yrs (assuming about a 1/3 a yr) is not 3 high credits. Book 1 was historically 1 high school credit. Since Latin isn't taught in schools the way it used to be, extending book 1 and 2 to 3 credits has become more the norm. But that would mean completing 2/3. The point is that a high school student with no prior Latin is expected to walk into a high school class and complete 2/3 of it for the credit. Pace of input/output **is** a determining factor for what is worth a high school credit. Since he had completed LC prior to Henle and still only made 1/3 of the way through, the pace is probably not equivalent to high school.

 

My 10th grade dd completed Latin 4 this yr. That means she does have credit from middle school. She took the NLE intro in 6th grade. (No credit.) She has taken the "level" exams every yr since. So she did earn Latin credit in 7th grade. In June she will take the SAT Latin subject test. Those tests do NOT give her credit. However, those tests do validate that what she completed was the equivalent of a high school credit.N

 

She started taking French in 3rd grade. It was most definitely NOT high school equivalent. Her French is harder for me to quantify bc her skills are not exactly equivalent. Her reading and listening skills exceed her speaking skills which exceed her writing skills. She can watch movies in French and read elementary level books in French (like Chronicles of Narnia) but she isn't writing essays several pages long in French. She is going to a French camp this summer and based on where she is right now, I believe she will be considered French 4. She has been taking French way longer than Latin, but the skill level expectations for a modern language are different than for Latin. (I guess I'll know her French level better after camp. It will be interesting to see how they classify her.)

 

She also studies Russian. She didn't start Russian until 9th grade, but her pace is Russian has actually been faster than a high school course. In under 2 school yrs, she has completed more than Russian 1&2.

 

Fwiw, her older brother is a STEM guy. He dropped foreign languages after level 3. He had credit for French 1-3 (levels 1&2 from middle school) and Latin 1-3. (I'd have to look, but he either started Latin in 8th or 9th. I can't remember.)

 

Does your local language have A type level exams? http://www.whystudylanguages.ac.uk/post16/alevels Many languages outside of the typical US high school languages do. (Here is a link to a list of A level type testing languages: http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-international-as-and-a-levels/subjects/

 

Another option might be to find a local tutor who would be willing to work with him and write a letter of recommendation based on what they do. Dd's Russian teacher has written a transcript for her which describes the level of work completed, her grade, and the teacher's assessment of her over all ability. I will include her information with my transcripts for any college dd applies to.

 

Here is a list that says what languages do have proficiency tests. You might find a proficiency test outside of the regular AP/subject test/A-level route:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_proficiency_tests

 

8, do you know if it is possible to take A-level language exams here in the U.S.? I know that you can take, for example, the DELF/DALF through the Alliance Francaise here. I wonder what other exams may be taken Stateside to confirm languages (outside of the AP/SAT II context). Do you have plans for your DD and exams for Russian?

[karenmsta]

Bummer. No A-levels for our local language.

 

 

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[karenmsta]

Thanks for that encouragement, everyone. Julie especially. I theoretically know we're a ways off from hs. But it's hard being overseas and homeschooling with only WTM Forum support (y'all are great!) I'm starting to see what is possible and have a lot to think about as I watch and help my son learn his dreams and what it's going to take to get there. Firstborns are hard like that! In other categories more than schooling!

[mumto2]

Bummer. No A-levels for our local language.

 

 

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Maybe they do GCSE in that language. I know it is not the same as an A level but they do test many languages. Most students here that have an other than English family first language take a GCSE and receive credit for it, pretty broad range from what I have heard. No idea where to look and no time to Google....just know from my kid's friends. Good luck.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Is there a testing program for speakers of the language who are learning it as a foreign language? What do foreign students have to pass to study at the local university?

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Another thing to keep in mind--

 

while there are many ways to prove your 2-4 years of language in high school to satisfy admissions requirements that is only the first step.  Then there are the foreign language gen ed requirements once you are admitted.  Every school is different but the options vary: taking 1-4 semesters of a language; taking a placement test/testing out; using an SATII or AP to test out or place; or your high school transcript meeting the requirements.

 

For those contemplating finishing a language early in high school--remember, your student many need to revisit languages once they are at university and that can be difficult after a couple year hiatus. 

[karenmsta]

There is a GCSE test for it! That would be something he would take further into HS so the credits would apply towards HS, right?

 

I'll look into testing at the uni. Not accredited or simply transferred, but might have testing for the language faculty. Thx!

 

There are no foreign students studying here I could look into the Capitol and ask a friend who majored in P. studies in the states.

 

 

 

 

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[Tsuga]

I've seen college admissions requirements that explicitly say they ONLY want to see credits earned in the previous 4 years, so that would eliminate middle school credits unless the student graduates HS early.

 

I think most public schools do give credit for math or foreign language earned in 8th grade, so those would be on a PS transcript whether the college wanted to see them or not — but the college may still not "count" them towards the admission requirements.

 

And I seriously doubt any college would count courses completed in 6th grade (in the OP's case) towards high school requirements.

 

Our high schools get around this by transferring in credits from middle school as Freshman year credits if the student elects to study another academic subject during HS. So, for example, suppose you have two years of MS French, and then decide you want to do pre-Engineering track, no language. You can transfer those French years on to your HS transcript.

 

That said, I would advise against leaving the language--why not do two years, one as study abroad (local language) in HS as well?

[Arcadia]

 

For those contemplating finishing a language early in high school--remember, your student many need to revisit languages once they are at university and that can be difficult after a couple year hiatus. 

 

Was thinking of doing that for our native language so there won't be any hiatus other than not doing academic coursework for it after taking the AP or SAT exam.

Just curious, is Bahasa Indonesia your native language?  I have Indonesian friends who are trilingual :)

[karenmsta]

No, but I enjoyed my short stint studying Bahasa Indonesia! It's a Persian language.

 

I hadn't heard of "study abroad " category. What is that?

 

 

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[karenmsta]

No, but I enjoyed my short stint studying Bahasa Indonesia! It's a Persian language.

 

I hadn't heard of "study abroad " category. What is that?

 

 

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[mumto2]

There is a GCSE test for it! That would be something he would take further into HS so the credits would apply towards HS, right?

 

I'll look into testing at the uni. Not accredited or simply transferred, but might have testing for the language faculty. Thx!

 

There are no foreign students studying here I could look into the Capitol and ask a friend who majored in P. studies in the states.

 

GCSE exams are taken at the end of what an American would call sophomore year traditionally. So would indicate 2years language study imo. Technically they can be taken at other times if needed for a qualification, know adults who have done a GCSE.

 

FYI. The kids I know in real life taking their first language GCSE do it a year or two early in order to get it out of the way because they are doing 13 or 14 GCSE's at school, so age 16.

[mumto2]

Sorry

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Was thinking of doing that for our native language so there won't be any hiatus other than not doing academic coursework for it after taking the AP or SAT exam.

Just curious, is Bahasa Indonesia your native language?  I have Indonesian friends who are trilingual :)

No -we are just students of Bahasa Indonesia.  

[8filltheheart]

8, do you know if it is possible to take A-level language exams here in the U.S.? I know that you can take, for example, the DELF/DALF through the Alliance Francaise here. I wonder what other exams may be taken Stateside to confirm languages (outside of the AP/SAT II context). Do you have plans for your DD and exams for Russian?

I have no idea. She just follows what her tutor advises. Her teacher rates her according to A levels ratings. But, dd will also have had essays sent to Russia for grading, competed in the Russian Olympiada, and there is some major project dd will be completing for something. (I'm not sure what this last one is, she will be working on it over the summer.). She has lots of outside validation.

 

French, otoh, we haven't quite decided. She is new with our local Alliance Francaise, so she isn't quite sure what she'll do yet. She isn't in a hurry since she is only in10th grade.

[SeaConquest]

I have no idea. She just follows what her tutor advises. Her teacher rates her according to A levels ratings. But, dd will also have had essays sent to Russia for grading, competed in the Russian Olympiada, and there is some major project dd will be completing for something. (I'm not sure what this last one is, she will be working on it over the summer.). She has lots of outside validation.

 

French, otoh, we haven't quite decided. She is new with our local Alliance Francaise, so she isn't quite sure what she'll do yet. She isn't in a hurry since she is only in10th grade.

 

OT, but if you don't mind me picking your brain a bit...

 

I decided to take on Latin after reading several past threads that debated its merits. I remember that you felt that Latin was unique in the way it contributed to critical thinking skills with your DS. I am curious if you still feel the same now that your daughter is taking advanced Russian? It seems to me that Russian grammar is more difficult than Latin (more cases), which would lead me to believe that the skills you described could be acquired with a modern language (bonus points because I actually know Russian). Do you still feel that there is something unique to Latin that is worth learning (apart from a root study)? 

[8filltheheart]

OT, but if you don't mind me picking your brain a bit...

 

I decided to take on Latin after reading several past threads that debated its merits. I remember that you felt that Latin was unique in the way it contributed to critical thinking skills with your DS. I am curious if you still feel the same now that your daughter is taking advanced Russian? It seems to me that Russian grammar is more difficult than Latin (more cases), which would lead me to believe that the skills you described could be acquired with a modern language (bonus points because I actually know Russian). Do you still feel that there is something unique to Latin that is worth learning (apart from a root study)? 

 

I don't feel qualified to answer that question.  Since the same student has completed both, I am not sure how I would be able to tease it apart.

 

I'm sure dd has an opinion on the matter.  I'll ask her after she finishes school today and see what her response is.  Of course, her level of Latin mastery currently exceeds her Russian, so she might not be able to answer herself.

 

I do know that her Russian teacher has told her multiple times that she believes that one reason dd is such a strong Russian student is b/c she has such a strong grasp of grammar.  (I'm positive that comes from both her English and Latin studies, but more so Latin b/c her Latin grammar actually progressed to a higher level than what I expect in our English studies.)

[Kareni]

... he will probably do a little Biblical Greek sometime in high school

 

This might interest you ~  The National Biblical Greek Exam (NBGE)

 

Regards,

Kareni